The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) condemned this Thursday “strongly” the request of the Prosecutor’s Office Guatemala to withdraw the immunity of the president-elect, Bernardo Arevaloand his vice president, Karin Herrerafor an alleged case of damages against the assets of the state university.
In a statement, the OAS “strongly condemns the presentation of preliminary rulings made today by the Public Ministry of Guatemalawhich includes the elected president of the country, Bernardo Arevalothe vice president-elect, Karin Herreraas well as several members of the political parties Semilla, VOS and Winaq”.
According to that regional organization, the decisions of the Public ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) Guatemala “They constitute actions of a political nature that distort the electoral process and can affect its result, which is why they are absolutely inappropriate and unacceptable for a democratic political system.”.
He also noted that the Prosecutor’s Office “As an institution of the State, it is in violation of what is established by the Inter-American Democratic Charter”.
For this reason, it also condemns the “continued political persecution by the Public Ministry, which today extended against another 28 Guatemalan citizens, and which adds to the usual intimidation and harassment of members of the Party Seed Movementhuman rights activists, academics, journalists and other social actors”.
Thus, the OAS recalled that yesterday the member states “They expressed by majority and clearly their serious concerns regarding the criminalization and judicialization of the electoral process and the political persecution by the Public Ministry” by approving a resolution that calls for respect for the transition of powers in the Central American country because it is considered unfair and unbalanced, and which Guatemala opposed.
This Thursday, the Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office He stated that he will request the withdrawal of immunity for the president-elect and his vice president for an alleged case of damages against the assets of the state university.
Specifically, he accused Arévalo and his vice president of participating in the forcible takeover of the university campus in 2022, in rejection of the elections held that year at the house of higher education.
MORE INFORMATION: Guatemala: Arévalo denounces “assault against democracy” after request to strip his immunity
According to the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, the president-elect could have committed the crimes of aggravated usurpation, depredation of cultural property and illicit association. The accusation details that the accused used the seizure of the university as a “platform for your political candidacies”.
For this same case, the former candidate for deputy of the Semilla party Marcela Blanco She was captured and an arrest warrant was issued for another 25 people, including former officials, politicians, students and university professors.
The Public Ministry, under the direction of the attorney general, Consuelo Porras Arguetahas been strongly criticized in Guatemala and abroad in recent months for trying to intervene in the election results and seeking to cancel the president-elect’s party.
